Having spent over three weeks away from the pitch, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s squad have been back training in small groups for over a week now. The VfB players are particularly pleased to be working up a sweat again at the club’s headquarters on Mercedesstraße, according to Atakan Karazor: “To have a break like that in the middle of the season is unusual, and we found it hard to deal with at first,” said the midfielder, reflecting on the past few weeks. “We’ve made good use of our time so far and hope to be fully prepared in case we’re allowed to play again.”
VfB may not have any games to prepare for just yet, but Matarazzo and his staff have not been going easy on the players in training. “The coaches are doing a good job of following up two very tough sessions at the beginning of the week with a slightly less intense session the day after,” said the 23-year-old, who is missing one thing in particular: “I wish I could give everyone a hug, but that’s not possible at the moment. We need to remain patient and disciplined.”
Karazor has also been representing VfB as an eSports player during the enforced break from action. “I’m taking part in the Bundesliga Home Challenge,” he said. “It’s great fun and a nice thing for everyone involved.”